Basketball Australia 2023 U16 National Championships boys and girls top performers
From lights-out shooters to defensive stars and gold medallists – these are the future stars who gave a glimpse of the wild potential in Aussie basketball at the U16 Nationals. See the full list.
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They’ve not yet celebrated sweet 16 and they’ve all got stars in their eyes, but the kids who tore up the National Championships last week gave a glimpse of the wild potential in Australian basketball.
With some still as young as 13, not a single player’s future is set, with long roads ahead that will determine whether they can use their basketball skills as a career, or their lives go in a different direction.
After SA Metro won the girls gold and Victoria Metro made it back-to-back titles in the boys, here is Michael Randall’s take, in no particular order, on the most impressive girls and boys at the U16 National Championships.
WATCH REPLAYS OF EVERY U16 NATIONALS GAME
VIC METRO’S ICE MAN AUSTIN KIRIKIRI
One of the finds of the tournament. I got a couple of texts about this kid as he showed an ability to maintain his cool under the toughest pressure, combined with the perfect balance of playmaking, scoring and defence. Saved his best for the Metro’s two biggest games with 20 points and 6 assists in the semi and then 24 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists in the gold medal clash, making a perfect 6-6 free throws in the last minute and a half to ice the final. Coach Dom Linosser preached to him to get his teammates involved throughout the tournament and he did so, finishing fifth in assists at nearly 4.5 per game.
VIC METRO’S WEBB OF WARRY, CHARLES AND DENVER
One oozes confidence, the other is the gold medallist’s towering leader. Denver Warry and Charles Webb had a profound impact for Vic Metro. Warry is the athletic muscle man who backs down from no one, while Webb set the defensive tone, his 198cm frame providing a presence in the middle that became more apparent as the tournament progressed.
SA COUNTRY’S DYNAMIC DUO ETHAN MACDERMOT AND KALE MATTHEWS-HAMPTON
The most-exciting pairing at the tournament, these two young men stamped themselves as future stars to follow as they dominated every match in leading Country all the way to the gold medal game. They almost pulled off a miracle in the decider too, MacDermot drilling 43 points – on eight treys – and Matthews-Hampton 32. Both a joy to watch, MacDermot might be the best pure shooter for his age in the country, while Matthews-Hampton would have most likely been the MVP – if they awarded one. His 28.5 points, 6.1 assists and 6.4 steals were all No.1 at the tournament and his efforts included an insane 48-point explosion and a 23-point, 11-rebound, 11-steal triple double. Both are fearless among the tall timber and neither is afraid of taking the big shot.
SA METRO’S RISING STAR KOBY MOIR
Moir’s older brother has been touted as a potential top-10 AFL draft pick but little bro has some serious skills of his own. Fourth in the tournament with 6.6 assists per game, at 185cm, Moir already has great size and length for someone so gifted at finding his teammates. Paced his team with nearly 17 points a game and splashed almost 40 per cent of his threes. A great tournament that has put him on radars.
SA METRO’S IRON GIANT ISAAC RIDDLE
Riddle me this: How important is a 197cm monster in the middle who loves doing the defensive dirty work but can provide an impact on offence? In SA Metro’s case, it was vital. Isaac Riddle stood out with his defensive IQ, ability to change shots and dictate the opponents offence, while producing four double doubles and nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds per game.
NSW METRO’S MONSTER MEN IN THE MIDDLE JAMAAL OSIKOYO AND ZION OKEKE
The giants in the middle for Metro, Okeke reminded me a little of Brooklyn Nets big man Nic Claxton with his length, effort and defensive ability. Both are listed at 194cm, but Osikoyo looked far taller with an enormous reach and athleticism. Both are raw – as you’d expect from most young big men – but Okeke dominated the glass in the bronze medal game with 18 rebounds, while Osikoyo finished second in rebounds at nearly 11 per game, including an enormous 16-point, 18-rebound, 9-block near triple-double.
NSW METRO’S B BOYS BAILEY HANSON AND BOL DIING
The backcourt engine room for the bronze medallists, Hanson emerged as an on-court leader, displaying almost a sixth sense for where everyone was on the floor and making several jaw-dropping passes to find open teammates. His mate Diing was a relentless defender who ignited in the bronze medal game, sinking five three pointers on his way to 27 points in his side’s win. South East Melbourne Phoenix big man Gorjok Gak said Diing was one of the best defenders for his age he had seen and it’s hard to disagree.
NSW COUNTRY’S YOUNG PLAYMAKER JOSH BOYLE
Every time I saw this kid, I loved him. It’s clear to see why the Blues’ high performance staff rate him so highly. He’s only skinny but showed a real feel for the game running the point for Country. Still working on his ball security, but the scoring and distribution (16.1 points, 4.1 assists) is already very evident and he’s really bouncy, a sneaky athlete who blew by plenty of guys in the blink of an eye.
QUEENSLAND NORTH’S KID CONFIDENCE ANDREW WATENE
Hard not to love this kid. One of the most confident 13-year-olds you will ever meet who was named captain of Queensland North and won rave reviews from as far away as Sydney King Kuoat Noi. Third in the tournament in assists at 4.62 per game, he twice handed out eight dimes and is so far ahead in his development he still has two years of U16 eligibility. Looking forward to see how his basketball pans out.
TASSIE’S OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT MASON LING
Finished second in the tournament in scoring at 26.5 per game on nearly 55 per cent from the field and was No.1 in free throw percentage at almost 90 per cent. Ling is a seriously gifted offensive talent out of the Apple Isle. Loves to attack the rim and was unstoppable whenever he found a seam – and sometimes when he didn’t, using his strength to overpower opponents. You can’t foul him either - he shot 58 freebies for the tournament and made 52 of them.
WA METRO’S DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT MARLEY SAM
Second in WA in steals at 6 per game, the home state favourite was a popular winner of the Defensive Player of the Tournament. Sam simply does not stop when it comes to guarding defenders, helping and pilfering the rock. Twice he had 10 steals and fell just short of a triple-double on another occasion when he had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. If he continues to play defence like that, he has a professional career awaiting.
WA METRO’S MR NON-STOP ALEX POWDERLY
Looks like a character out of Lock Stock or Rock n Rolla and plays like one, too. No compromise in this big kid. He’s versatile too: one minute, he’s mixing it up inside, bashing and crashing with the big bodies and cleaning the glass. The next, he’s bringing the ball up the floor and initiating the offence. Love how he lifted an already high workrate in the big games – he dominated inside against the smaller SA Metro to the tune of 16 points and 19 rebounds and then upped the ante in the quarters with a 24-point, 14-rebound, 3-block effort that almost led his team to an upset over silver medallist SA Country.
WA COUNTRY’S LONG, LEAN REBOUNDING MACHINE LOWELL JUDE CHRISTOPHER
The No.1 rebounder at the tournament at 11.6, Lowell Jude Christopher was one of the biggest positives to come out of a tough tournament for WA Country. Had five double-doubles, including a 23-point, 12-rebound, 4-steal, 2-block tour de force against Tassie. Was one of the best passing bigs at the tournament, finishing second on his team at 3.1 per game. An exciting prospect with physical gifts that will be highly-coveted if he continues on this trajectory.
WA COUNTRY’S DO-IT-ALL POINT GUARD BILLY MCCRAE
This kid is so tough. Had six 20-point games on his way to fourth among all scorers at the tournament at 19.9 per game and dimed up his teammates to the tune of 4 per game. His team largely flew under the radar, failing to win any of the pool games, but it certainly wasn’t for McCrae’s lack of trying. Add 5 boards and a steal per game and you have a young man with all the makings of a complete player.
SHOOTERS GONNA SHOOT
Mentioned Ethan MacDermot, but there were a bevy of can’t-miss boys at the tournament. Rangy NSW Metro wing Alex Prosser has no conscience and the greenest of green lights. His jumper was among the prettiest at the tournament, while Vic Metro’s Zane Windsor was the most accurate three-point shooter in WA, making nearly half of his 53 attempts from deep for the champions. Loved Tassie guard Dexter Upton’s pluck from deep and Vic Country’s Hugh Buckby was brilliant, inside and out.
SA METRO’S UNOFFICIAL TOURNAMENT MVP KEIRA GARDINER
The best scorer inside the three-point line at the tournament, Gardiner’s uncompromising play culminated in a 29-point, 11-rebound outburst in the gold medal game that underlined why she’s considered one of the best junior prospects in the country. One talent-watcher at the tournament said to me “she’s the best kid here and it isn’t even close.” It’s hard to disagree. She’s a cracking person too, I was lucky enough to have a chat with her and she spoke about how she struggled with the pressure at last year’s nationals, so changed her mindset this year and reaped rich rewards. Has the physical tools, ability and temperament to be great.
SA COUNTRY’S PROBABLE MVP RUNNER UP DAISY HOCKING
Listed at 170cm, Daisy’s game is enormous. Do-it-all is often used to describe players, but it is perfectly apt in this instance – Hocking led the tournament in assists (5.1), was second in points (20.4), steals (5.25) and free throw makes (44), and third in rebounding (10.62). That’s some statline for a 170cm point guard. Lived at the free throw line – opponents couldn’t stop her – and will be even more dangerous if she can improve her 60 per cent clip from the charity stripe.
SA METRO’S LAND OF THE GIANTS IN ABBEY JONES, ELOUISE NORDHAUSEN-BRADLEY, ASPEN CRASE AND EMMA SCOTT
When you can roll out a squad of five all 180cm or taller, you’ve already got a distinct advantage. When they can play as well as these girls it’s a nightmare waiting to happen, as Vic Metro found out when they threw everything at SA in the gold medal game but had to settle for silver. Aspen Crase, particularly, appears to have the world at her feet with plenty of growing to do. I first saw her at the Schools Championships on the Gold Coast late last year – where she finished second in the tournament in rebounding. Less than a year on, she’s already shown an expanded game, often putting the ball on the floor and initiating offence, which just about every SA player was capable of. At 183cm, she’s so long and adds a rare desire to crash the glass at both ends, finishing fourth at 10.25 per game.
NSW METRO’S TWIN TOWERS IMOGEN TROUT AND OLIVIA HASTINGS
It almost wasn’t fair when these two hit the floor together for NSW Metro. They were the two best rebounders at the tournament, Trout at 12.9 per game and Hastings at 10.8 – that’s nearly 24 boards between them each contest.
Trout, 184cm, is still an offensive work in progress but was a nightmare for opposing teams at the other end, blowing up so many sets with her length and high defensive IQ and decision-making. Her anticipation at that end of the floor is excellent, she knows when to get in the passing lanes and can defend players of any size, making her extremely switchable. It came as no surprise to anyone when she was named Defensive Player of the Tournament.
Hastings captained the Metro team and, while she’s listed at 187cm in the program, she appears far taller than that in the flesh.
The two girls combined for a ridiculous 38 rebounds in one game, Trout with 20 and Hastings with 18.
VIC METRO’S BASKETBALL AI’S MADISON RYAN AND DAISY NOUSIS
Type ‘describe the perfect basketballer for the modern game’ into Chat GPT and you’d probably get a response along the lines of ‘That’s easy: Madison Ryan and Daisy Nousis’. In all seriousness, Ryan might have had the most impressive natural basketball build at the tournament. She’s so long, lean, athletic, can shoot it, has the strength to finish inside and already has an extensive basketball IQ. Ryan led the Vic’s in scoring at 13.9 per game and did everything else, too – 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 steals, 2.4 assists – but most impressive was her ability to protect the ball: she was under 2.4 turnovers per game, well below most other girls who handled the ball so much.
Teammate Nousis formed the other half of the brilliant partnership and she too is long and athletic, underlining her potential against SA’s enormous frontline, producing 21 points and 8 rebounds against the eventual champions.
NSW METRO’S GUARD DUTY MALKI HALWALA AND KAILA PROCTOR
I knew nothing about Malki Halwala heading into the tournament but, after watching her take over down the stretch in the semi and then the bronze medal game, she’s got my attention. Great, compact guard with serious ability to get to the basket and absolutely no fear of the moment. Was so impressed with her body control and natural basketball sense. Had 23 points to shore up bronze as her back court mate Kaila Proctor added 19. Proctor flashed plenty at the tournament and her build and tendencies make it easy to tell she’s related to Tyrese.
QUEENSLAND NORTH’S BOND, TARYN BOND, AND SOUTH’S OO AGENT OLIVIA OLECHNOWICZ
Bond has been gifted with similar physical and skill traits to her uber-talented older sister Teyahna and she used them to devastating effect at the nationals. Literally did it all in pacing her team in points (17.25), rebounds (9.12) and steals (4.25), while second in assists (3.12). She’s tough as nails, too, doing all that while battling a knee injury.
Olechnowicz was a one-woman wrecking ball for her team, leading the tournament in scoring at over 22 per game. Skilled and compact, Olechnowski is so strong - her ability to finish around the basket while getting hacked by the opposition was a real feature.
VIC METRO’S LITTLE MCMASTER
The facilitator for Vic Metro’s potent offence, McMechan dished out 3.88 assists per game, good enough for second best among all players in WA. Embraced more of a scoring role as the tournament went on and topped her best output in each of her last three games, showing out with 17 in the decider.
VIC COUNTRY’S SWISS ARMY KNIFE POPPY MYERS
The first player to catch my eye at the tournament, Poppy does everything and she can do it all well. Her physicality and attack on the boards – especially on offence – really stood out for me and I found myself thinking this kid could almost be a development player at a WNBL club right now. Can defend every position on the floor and embraces every challenge thrown at her. She can score the ball, too, with a nice midrange game. Had two 20-point performances to cap her hard work.
NSW COUNTRY’S MS STEAL YOUR BASKETBALL KIJANA MCCOWAN
Ladies and gentlemen, lock up your basketball when this expert thief is around. The daughter of an Albury basketball legend, McCowan had more steals than any other player at the tournament, averaging 5.71. Her best was 8 against WA Country, part of an 11-point, 14-rebound, 2 block effort. Moves her feet really well on defence, reads the play well and has a really powerful first burst that allows her disrupt, then turn defence into attack.
NSW COUNTRY GIANT KIRA JUFFERMANS FOLLOWING IN SISTER’S FOOTSTEPS
Captain of NSW Country, Kira Juffermans was a commanding presence in the middle, just like reigning U20 Nationals MVP Isla. Kira is a raw offensive talent, but has great size and mobility and became more and adjusted to the physicality of the nationals the more she experienced it.
TASMANIA’S HIGH-POTENTIAL TALL AND THE WALKING BUCKET ANDIE SMITH AND PORTIA CHOPPING
The younger sister of Opals starlet Alanna Smith, Andie’s only just shifted her attention back to basketball after 18 months on the netball court. She shook off some early rust to help her side book a quarter-final spot. She’s tall like her sister and her arms are so long, allowing her to beat opponents to the boards and she showed an improving inside game as the tournament progressed, culminating in a 17-point, 12-rebound, 4-block breakout, before injury cut her tournament short.
Fast and fearless, gun teammate Portia Chopped up one-on-one defenders with ease and scored a ton of points at the basket for Tassie. Her clutch buckets were often the catalyst as her side bounced back from losing its first three games to book a spot in the quarters. Stood out with 25 points on 5 threes against Vic Country. Struggled early with turnovers, but made an impressive improvement in her ball security throughout the tournament.
ACT’S DAUGHTER OF A GUN AVA TAWAKE
It was a tough tournament for the ACT girls, but Tawake, daughter of former ACT Brumbies brute Jone Tawake, acquitted herself well. She has the strength of her dad and matches that with a desire to go to the boards that allowed her to finish in the top-five among all girls at the tournament (10.2 per game). Her physical size will be a great asset as she progresses in her basketball development.
Originally published as Basketball Australia 2023 U16 National Championships boys and girls top performers
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